Some good advice on the services from a few folks here...but the glaring problem. The HUGE problem you have right now...get your daughter off of an 18U team and get her on a 16U team where she needs to be. I've been to tournaments with our 14, 16, and 18 gold teams...and every single tournament I've been to from the IDT to the Legacy and beyond is the same...SEC and generally top 25 level teams heavily watching 14s. Plenty mid-major D1, and D2, D3, NAIA schools watching 16s. Rarely a top 25 coach in the crowd. 18s, you can drop a bomb and not hit a college coach. And keep in mind, this is playing in the A pools, not the C or D at some obscure field out of the way.
NSR vs. NCSA questions
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- Jul 3, 2013
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Coaches go to watch the players that have contacted them and expressed interest in attending their schools. They don't go to watch the 16u games because they need a 2020 shortstop, they go watch the 2020 shortstop because she has made contact and shown interest. And also because she's good, and has the grades, and is a good teammate, and her parents aren't batshit crazy, and they got a recommendation from a coach, and on and on.
If you're a real top player, they'll be interested no matter what age group you're playing in.
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Focus is at the 14 and 16 level though for most schools. A lot of it depends on the tournament. If your missing showcases for 14 and 16 to play 18 then you may be missing opportunities. Coaches only have so much budget to travel. I have learned that many D1 teams are out of 2020 money and are onto 2021. Now if you're a stud they may make some room. It's crazy out there. 2018 is going to get looked at if they have a late hole they need to fill. Now if you have made a relationship with a coach and they are going to your tournament then of course they may come watxh you, but they are focusing on 14 and 16 showcases.
It really depends on what schools you're targeting. Also if you don't know what tournament the coaches are coming to or what year telhey are recruit g then odds are they're not coming to see you. Write emails and make relationships have your teammates all email other teammates schools to come see you too.. we had some big name schools come see us just because every girl on the team sent personal emails to the coaches. Felt the team put in the effort and deserved a look.
I would get on a well known 14 or 16 team though if you can.
It really depends on what schools you're targeting. Also if you don't know what tournament the coaches are coming to or what year telhey are recruit g then odds are they're not coming to see you. Write emails and make relationships have your teammates all email other teammates schools to come see you too.. we had some big name schools come see us just because every girl on the team sent personal emails to the coaches. Felt the team put in the effort and deserved a look.
I would get on a well known 14 or 16 team though if you can.
Yeah, that's just not reality. I know the popular opinion is that you have to email coaches to get them to see you, and that they only come to watch the players who email them. That'a just patently false. While they will come to see a kid who they have a connection with, you're not gonna find very many coaches outside of JUCO who will go watch 18s. And maybe that's the end goal here. But I wouldn't be fishing for a JUCO offer as a 2020 right now. There is time for that.
And coaches most certainly DO go watch a game because they need a 2020 SS. Not just because a 2020 SS contacted them. But let me clarify what I mean...if you are on a "regular" weekend team that goes to showcases, that player better burn that coach's email and phone up, because the chances of her getting seen are slim to none otherwise. But he said she was playing on an 18 gold team. If it is a true gold team and gold organization they are involved with, coaches will come watch to see what they have that may work for them. But they are spending that time on 14s and 16s.
But it's all relative. I'm speaking to gold level organizations and true gold level teams. If you don't fit in that category, you are correct that coaches aren't coming watch your team play for no reason.
- Jul 3, 2013
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I think that telling someone to play a lower level of competition because it would make the very slim chance of a coach accidentally discovering her slightly less slim is poor advice.
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No. You are missing my point. And it's not lower level competition. We are talking about gold play here. True gold level play. At a 16U gold game at, say, the IDT, you will see 10-15 college coaches sitting behind the backstop watching a game. At the same tournament in 18s, you may see 2. And the "accidentally discovery" is how a large percentage of girls who play at that level get recruited. Granted, their coach has called the coaches and gave them a rundown of his team and who he has, but many of these kids end up committing to teams they didn't even know they were interested in when they started.
Again, I was commenting to the level of play that his daughter is currently playing. Mileage may vary, and this isn't true of all levels of ball. It used to be that better players played up to play with better competition. That's what the coaches wanted. It's just not the case anymore.
Again, I was commenting to the level of play that his daughter is currently playing. Mileage may vary, and this isn't true of all levels of ball. It used to be that better players played up to play with better competition. That's what the coaches wanted. It's just not the case anymore.
